Restaurant method

ABSTRACT

A method for selling restaurant food. One method, for selling food, comprises the steps of: providing a buffet restaurant; selling containers to customers of the buffet restaurant; and permitting purchasers of said containers to place therein food from the buffet for take-away purposes. Another method is for use with a buffet restaurant of the all-you-can-eat type, wherein a patron is, in exchange for payment of a fixed price, allowed to eat as much as he or she wishes from the buffet in a single sitting. This method comprises the step of: allowing said patron, for an additional price, the opportunity to retrieve a predetermined quantity of food from the buffet for take-away purposes. The additional price can be embodied in the sale of a container to the patron, the volume of the container defining the predetermined quantity.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a continuation patent application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/480,181 filed Sep. 8, 2014 which is acontinuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/164,600filed Jan. 27, 2014 which is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/979,150 filed Dec. 27, 2010 entitled RESTAURANTMETHOD which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 61/389,308, filed Oct. 4, 2010, incorporated in its entirety hereinby reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a unique method for selling restaurantfood.

2. Prior Art.

As a restaurant dining option, restaurant buffets are popular among manycustomers. Frequently, such buffets are “all you can eat”, which canlead to excessive food consumption as well as food waste.

Many restaurants, including those with buffets, sell their food intake-away containers, for pick-up or delivery and occasionally even toeat-in. Further, it is known in a la carte restaurants to placeleftovers in take-away containers [“doggy bags”] so that customers cantake the leftovers with them after a meal. In each of these scenarios,the container represents an expense for the restaurant owner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Forming one aspect of the invention is a unique method for sellingrestaurant food, the method comprising the steps of: providing a buffetrestaurant; selling containers to customers of the buffet restaurant,i.e. to a person who has already paid for a buffet dinner; andpermitting purchasers of said containers to place therein food from thebuffet for take-away purposes.

According to another aspect of the invention, containers can be offeredfor sale to persons other than customers of the buffet restaurant at aprice different from that offered to customers of the buffet restaurant.

According to another aspect of the invention, each customer of thebuffet restaurant can purchase only one of said containers.

According to another aspect of the invention, each customer of thebuffet can purchase one or more of said containers.

According to another aspect of the invention, each customer of thebuffet can purchase, at a first price, one of said containers, and at aprice different than the first price, one or more other of saidcontainers.

According to another aspect of the invention, said containers can beoffered for sale in differing sizes, each size having an associatedprice.

According to another aspect of the invention, the containers can besealable so as to prevent leakage,

According to another aspect of the invention, the containers can beinsulated.

According to another aspect of the invention, the containers can eachincorporate partitions dividing the container into a plurality ofcompartments.

According to another aspect of the invention, the partitions can beremovable.

Forming another aspect of the invention is a method for use with abuffet restaurant, of the all-you-can-eat type, wherein a patron is, inexchange for payment of a fixed price, allowed to eat as much as he orshe wishes from the buffet in a single sitting, the method comprisingthe step of: allowing said patron, for an additional price, theopportunity to retrieve a predetermined quantity of food from the buffetfor take-away purposes.

According to another aspect of the invention, the additional price canbe embodied in the sale of a container to the patron, the volume of thecontainer defining the predetermined quantity.

Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention,as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements ofthe structure, and the combination of parts and economies ofmanufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description and the appended claims with reference tothe accompanying drawings, the latter being briefly describedhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the present invention will now be described byreference to the following figures, in which identical referencenumerals in different figures indicate identical elements and in which:

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a container in an open position, whichcontainer may be used to achieve some aspects of the invention describedherein; and

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a container in a closed position, whichcontainer may be used to achieve some aspects of the invention describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specificmanners in which to make and use the invention and are not to beinterpreted as limiting the scope of the instant invention.

While the invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be noted that many modifications may be made inthe details of the invention's construction and the arrangement of itscomponents without departing from the spirit and scope of thisdisclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to theembodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification.

The present invention will now be described for the purposes ofillustration only in connection with exemplary embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown in perspective view a container 100in an open position which forms an exemplary embodiment of theinvention.

The container 100 has a bottom portion 104 and a top portion 108. Thetop portion 108 is pivotably attached to the bottom portion 104 along aback edge 112 of the bottom portion 104. The top portion 108 of thecontainer 100 is pivotable about the back edge 112 from an open positionshown in FIG. 1 to a closed position shown in FIG. 2. Further, the topportion 108 may pivot to a position where the top portion 108 lies inthe same plane as the bottom portion 104 (this position not shown).

The container 100 preferably incorporates a means for releasablysecuring the top portion 108 to the bottom portion 104 in the closedposition. The means for releasably securing may be any fastener,including a latch, a clasp or a pin. In the embodiment shown, the meansfor securing the top portion 108 in the closed position is a latch andflange system. A latch 130 is orientated on the top portion 108 and isformed from a malleable material to permit slight bending. A flange 134is orientated on the bottom portion 104 and is positioned so as to lineup with the latch 130 when the top portion 108 is in the closedposition. The latch 130 has a notch (not shown) that engages the flange134 as the top portion 108 approaches the closed position and, whenextra downward force is applied to the top portion 108, the notch slipsover the flange 134 and 25 reasonably secures the top portion 108 in theclosed position. The top portion 108 may be returned to the openposition by disengaging the notch from the flange 134 and pulling thetop portion 108 upward.

The container 100 is preferably constructed from a material that limitsor prevents the conductivity of heat, such as plastic. The material fromwhich the container is constructed is also durable so as to withstandpressure applied to its outer surface. Alternatively, or additionally,the container 100 may be lined with an insulating material that preventsor diminishes the movement of heat from or into the container 100.

The container 100 may incorporate multiple compartments. The embodimentshown in FIG. 1 incorporates two compartments 144 and 148 but it will beunderstood by a person skilled in the art that the container mayincorporate two or more compartments. A bottom partition 150 and a topportion 152 separate the compartments 144 and 148. When the top portion108 is in a closed position, the top partition 152 meets the bottompartition 150 so as to separate compartments 144 and 148. In anexemplary embodiment, the partitions 150 and 152 are removable so as topermit the customer to vary the size and number of the compartments.

In an exemplary embodiment, the container 100 incorporates seals 160 toprevent leakage from the container 100 and between compartments 144 and148 of the container 100 when the top portion 108 is in the closedposition. The seals 160 also limit the escape of odour from thecontainer 100 and between compartments 144 and 148 of the container 100when the top portion 108 is in the closed position. The seals 160 areorientated at a top edge around the perimeter of the bottom portion 104,at the top edge of the bottom partition 150, at a bottom edge around theperimeter of the top portion 108 and at the bottom edge of the toppartition 152.

Containers according to the above exemplary embodiment can be used in aunique method for selling restaurant food which forms another aspect ofthe invention, although it will be understood that the method may beachieved by utilizing any container that may receive food.

The method comprises the steps of: providing a buffet restaurant;selling containers to customers of the buffet restaurant; and permittingpurchasers of said containers to place therein food from the buffet. Forgreater certainty, “customer” shall be understood to mean a person whohas already paid for a buffet meal.

This method provides the opportunity for increasing the volume of foodsold, which has advantageous impacts on food freshness, taste andpreparation efficiency.

As well, the method poses the potential for a ‘free’ revenue stream, inthe sense that some customers who, either by accident or compulsiveness,have overfilled their plates may, having already taken the food,purchase a container to take it away out of guilt, rather than allowingit to go to waste.

The method may also result in reduced on-site food consumption as someconsumers, freed from the need to ‘get their money worth’, might besatisfied with purchasing a take-away container for the favourite foodsthat they would otherwise have felt compelled to eat.

Further, this method provides the opportunity for a restaurant buffet tochange the overall food cost margin, by modifying the food selectionbehaviour of customers. This opportunity can be exploited in severalways. First, after a busy mealtime, a restaurant that continuouslyreplenishes its buffet will inevitably have leftovers of one or moretypes of food. A restaurant could modify food costs by managingremainders such that purchasers of containers take lesser amount ofrelatively high cost foods and higher amounts of relatively low costfood, solely as a result of the relative amounts of buffet remainders.

Further, by providing containers with partitions, customers canrelatively easily mix foods of different types, such as desserts withmeats, without co-mingling, which could result in a greater propensityfor customers, on a take-away basis, to purchase relatively low-costfoods such as cakes or sweets.

According to another option, containers could conceivably be offered forsale to persons other than customers of the buffet restaurant, typicallyat a price different from that offered to customers of the buffetrestaurant. This could, again, result in a new revenue stream andincrease food turnover. The price would typically be different so as toaccount for the fact that other customers had already paid the price ofa buffet meal.

Various other price discrimination and similar rules can be implementedto maximize profits and consumer appeal. For example, some restaurantsmay permit each customer of the buffet restaurant to purchase only oneof said containers. Other restaurants might permit unlimited containerpurchases.

Others might set prices for first and subsequent containers differently,or provide containers in differing sizes, each having an associatedprice, or sell containers to senior citizens at prices lower than thosesold to others.

The pricing and container availability methodology selected by therestaurant in each case will vary depending upon the target consumer andthe specific goal(s) sought to be achieved by the restaurant operator.

Further, whereas the previous description contemplates the sale of acontainer, persons of ordinary skill will understand that ‘sale’ of acontainer for the purpose of the method could, for example, involve thesale of a right to retrieve food from a buffet in a container forpurposes of take-away, even if the container was given freely to therights holder, or if the rights holder used a container which he or shealready owned.

Thus, the method could also be described as a method for use with abuffet restaurant, of the all-you-can-eat type, wherein a patron is, inexchange for payment of a fixed price, allowed to eat as much as he orshe wishes from the buffet in a single sitting, the method comprisingthe step of: allowing said patron, for an additional price, theopportunity to retrieve a predetermined quantity of food from the buffetfor the purpose of take-away. In the method so described, the additionalprice could be, for example and without limitation, embodied in the saleof a container to the patron, the volume of the container defining thepredetermined quantity.

Yet further modifications and variations may be made. Accordingly, theinvention should be understood as limited only by the accompanyingclaims, purposively construed.

Whereas, the present invention has been described in relation to thedrawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and furthermodifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be madewithin the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising the steps of: providing abuffet restaurant having bowls and plates, the buffet restaurant beingof the type that has buffet customers, said buffet customers beingdefined as persons that have paid or are bound to pay the charge of thebuffet restaurant for partaking of the buffet in premises; sellingcontainers to container customers, container customers being defined ascustomers that have paid or are bound to pay the charge of therestaurant for the container; restraining access to the buffet otherwisethan to said buffet customers and said container customers; restrainingthe retrieval of food in quantity from the buffet otherwise than via oneof the plates, bowls and containers; and restraining removal of thebowls and plates from the restaurant by the buffet customers and thecontainer customers.
 2. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein saidcontainers are offered for sale to persons other than buffet customersat a price different from that offered to buffet customers.
 3. Themethod as defined by claim 1 wherein the containers are adapted to besealed without the use of tools.
 4. The method as defined by claim 1wherein the containers are insulated.